Stephen Widener
Clover
Summary
Dedicated 8th Grade Social Studies teacher with 10 years of success in creating engaging, rigorous, and student-centered learning environments. Adept at differentiating instruction to meet diverse learning needs, fostering critical thinking, and preparing students for academic success. Skilled in utilizing technology, project-based learning, and formative assessments to enhance student engagement and achievement. Proven ability to collaborate with colleagues, manage classrooms effectively, and communicate with parents to support student growth. Eager to transition to a high school teaching role, focusing on fostering college and career readiness.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
Work History
Teacher
Clover School District
08.2022 - Current
- Taught eighth grade South Carolina history
- Planned lessons, developed curriculum, and assessed students
- Used personalized learning concepts and strategies, across multiple disciplines, subject areas, and grade levels
- Communicated frequently with parents, students, and faculty to provide feedback and discuss instructional strategies.
- Attended team meetings with teachers and administrators as required
- Continuously pursued professional development opportunities such as workshops or conferences to stay current in educational trends.
- Taught on academic inclusion team handling multiple IEPs from 2022-2023
- Built on lessons learned and technologies used in previous engagement to improve as an educator and to seek new opportunities for growth
- Led team meetings, handled discipline within the team, and coordinated with the administrative team to ensure that the school day ran smoothly
- 97% of students met targeted Student Learning Objective goals
- Enhanced classroom engagement through the use of interactive teaching methods, such as group projects and hands-on activities.
- Conducted a schoolwide election during the 2024 election season to mock the ongoing race between Presidential candidates
- Coordinated with students and teachers to organize Hurricane Helene relief in Western NC
- Worked to implement a project -based approach to instruction and assessment
- Acted as the 8th grade football coach for linebackers and wide receivers in 2022; and 7th grade football coach for defensive backs and wide receivers in 2023
- Acted as the Assistant Coach for the lacrosse team's 2023 season
- Served as the Coordinator Dungeons and Dragons Club for the 2024-2025 school year
- Student-voted Teacher of the Month, December 2024
Teacher
Lancaster County School District
08.2017 - 01.2022
- Taught eighth grade South Carolina history
- Continued to teach in a socially, ethnically, and culturally diverse environment
- Planned lessons, developed curriculum, and assessed students
- Used more team-teaching concepts than in previous engagement, across multiple disciplines, subject areas, and grade levels
- Attended team meetings with teachers and administrators on a daily and weekly basis as required
- Built on lessons learned and technologies used in previous engagement to improve as an educator and to seek new opportunities for growth
- Served as team leader for Team6 and Team8 from 2019 to2022
- Led team meetings, scheduled daily class rotations, handled discipline within the team, and coordinated with the administrative team to ensure that the school day ran smoothly
- Handled bus duty and dismissal during assistant principal’s absences
- Served as Social Studies Department Chair for the2020-2021 school year
- Oversaw development of curriculum, supplies, funds and professional development of all social studies teachers at South Middle School
- Worked with the previous social studies chair to move the department from traditional delivery to project-based teaching model
- Served as the bookkeeper for the girls and boys basketball teams during the2017-2018 basketball season
- Served as the clock and scorekeeper for the boys and girls basketball teams from 2018 to 2022
- Coached offensive and defensive line on the South Middle School football team from 2018 to the 2021
- Planned and conducted activities for the “Sports Fans” club
- Served on the committee for “Family Fun Night,” whose goal was to plan and execute special events for both the students and the community throughout the year
- Served on the PBIS committee for South Middle School with the goal of reimagining the culture, mission, and discipline policy of the school
- 95% of students met targeted Student Learning Objective goals
- Worked with the administrative team at South Middle School to create schedules and form teaching teams for the2020-2021 school year
- Worked closely with the Technology Coach at South Middle School assisting with minor technology issues and was trained to check in and distribute chromebooks should a situation arise where the technology coach was quarantined due to Covid-19
- Served as an informal mentor to new 8th grade social studies teachers
- Helped new 8th grade social studies teachers to grow with curriculum development and classroom management
- Led a professional development on effective strategies for classroom management during the 2020-2021 school year
- Developed strong relationships with students, parents, and colleagues by maintaining open lines of communication and fostering a supportive learning environment.
- Managed classroom behavior effectively by establishing clear expectations, modeling appropriate conduct, and consistently enforcing established rules and consequences.
Teacher
Florence School District Three
08.2015 - 07.2017
- Taught eighth grade South Carolina history
- During this time, taught large class sizes and integrated a variety of strategies, including classroom management, whole-group instruction, small-group instruction, project-based learning, differentiated instruction, brain-based learning, and student engagement
- Taught in a socially, ethnically, and culturally diverse environment
- Planned lessons, developed curriculum, assessed students, and assisted in developing the district-wide pacing guide for eighth grade social studies
- Integrated technology into the curriculum using it as a resource to enhance the learning experience
- Collaboration with OEC teachers to meet numerous student accommodations and to plan effectively and to differentiate lessons
- Collaborated with the ELA department and made regular use of ELA strategies both to practice and to teach literacy as a part of the curriculum
- A South Carolina PACE program participant for alternative licensure
- Applied the lessons learned from the PACE institute, including lesson planning, lesson pacing, curriculum integration, differentiated instruction, classroom management, student engagement, teaching ESOL, group instruction, project-based learning, integrating technology into the classroom, and teaching OEC students
- Collaboration with seventh grade social studies teachers to become familiar with that content, those standards, and to discover connections between that content area and eighth grade content
- Used some information to give students a better foundation, as appropriate, to aid in understanding the eighth grade content
- Attended the annual NewTech conference in Orlando, Florida in July of2016
- Topics that were particularly relevant were the application of techniques for teaching students of poverty, managing group learning, project planning, project implementation, effective strategies for managing student behavior, implementing computers into the classroom, and planning engaging lessons relevant to the21st century student
- Taught many students who have scored below average on assessments in all of their core subjects and implemented corrective actions to help them make significant gains in ELA and in Social Studies
- Served as a faculty sponsor of the Junior Beta Club at Ronald E
- McNair Junior High School in2015, and served as a chaperone during numerous Beta Club field trips
Education
M.A. - History
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina05.2014
B.A. - History
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina05.2012
A.A. - General Education
Haywood Community College
Clyde, North Carolina05.2010
Skills
- Classroom Management
- Relationship Building
- Critical Thinking
- Targeted interventions
- Project-based Learning
- Curriculum Development
- Peer Mentorship
- Conflict Mediation
- Personalized Learning
- Digital Literacy
- Individualized Support
- Standards Alignment
Languages
German
Limited Working
Timeline
Teacher
Clover School District
08.2022 - Current
Teacher
Lancaster County School District
08.2017 - 01.2022
Teacher
Florence School District Three
08.2015 - 07.2017
B.A. - History
Western Carolina University
A.A. - General Education
Haywood Community College
M.A. - History
Western Carolina University
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